Nearly eight years into addiction recovery, Nicole Zoellner is still paying off $180,000 in gambling debt.

The Perry woman is married and has two children who now know of her struggles with a gambling addiction. She said she didn’t tell her husband about her problem until several months into recovery. She broke the news at a family counseling session at A Chance to Change, an Oklahoma City-area nonprofit that provides classes, workshops and prevention programs for those with addiction or mental health issues. Zoellner still attends regular sessions.

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Whitney Bryen

Whitney Bryen is an investigative reporter and visual storyteller at Oklahoma Watch with an emphasis on domestic violence, mental health and nursing homes affected by COVID-19. Contact her at (405) 201-6057...